Tall, dry grass and hot weather make the perfect combination for rattlesnake season.

"The rattlesnakes do love the heat. And that's why we see them," Monterey Zoo owner Charlie Sammut said.

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The drought this year is going to make them even more prevalent, especially in hotter areas like Hollister, he said.

"I would guess we're going to see a much more active snake. The heat makes them hungrier. If they were cooled down, they wouldn't be coming out as much or as often," he said.

So what can you do to protect yourself?

If you are going for a hike, wear protective boots and ankle socks, and stay on trails. If you see a snake, don't provoke it.

If you do get bit, call 911 immediately, and do not suck the venom out.

A Folsom mother said she made that mistake after her 4-year-old son, Vinny, stepped on a snake while walking on a trail in Sacramento.

"The mama bear instinct in me deciding to suck the venom because that's what apparently 'Bonanza' does," Jaclyn Caramazza said.

“Misconception is lacerate between the two points and suck the venom out. Absolutely don't do that. Use your basic wound type stuff. Soap and water. Wash the area, keep it clean and call 911 immediately," said Chris Stoots of California Fish and Wildlife.

Sammut said 14 percent of rattlesnake bites are dry bites without any venom. However, it's still important to seek medical attention.

If bite victims are treated in a timely manner, they should recover, he said.

"It's a very painful bite with rattlesnakes. There's no two ways about it. But people generally, as a rule, don't die from it," he said.